Which colorful bee-eater migrates from Europe and Asia to sub-Saharan Africa each year?

The European bee-eater migrates from breeding areas in Europe and western Asia to sub-Saharan Africa each year.

This brightly colored bird catches flying insects from exposed perches. Although bees and wasps are important prey, it also eats dragonflies, beetles and other insects. Before swallowing a stinging insect, the bee-eater typically beats it against a perch to remove the stinger.

European bee-eaters usually breed colonially in sandy banks and cliffs. Most populations migrate south in late summer and return in spring, crossing the Mediterranean and Sahara. The species is sometimes confused with other bee-eaters, but its European breeding range and characteristic turquoise, yellow and chestnut plumage distinguish it.